Serving apparatus.



J. HALL, JR. SERVING- APPARATUS. APPLIOATIOH FILED 001'. 28, 1910.

998,289, Patented July 18, 1911.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRLPH C0 WASHINGTON, D. C.

W] T NESSES:

J. HALL, JR.

PatentedJuly 18,1911.

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JOHN HALL, JR, OF WEST SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

SERVING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1911.

Application filed October 28, 1910. Serial No. 589,582.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HALL, Jr., a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at West Springfield, in the county of Hampden andState of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inServing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in serving apparatus in which acabinet or in closing case is employed to contain a roll from whichsuitable lengths of paper or other material may be drawn, and associatedwith the roll is an apparatus or device for accurately determining thelength of each piece of paper, etc, that is detached from the roll.

The invention is particularly adapted for use as a sanitarytowel-delivering device in which a roll of paper is employed and made ina suitable manner for readily absorbing moisture. The construction ormake up of the roll, however, does not form any part of the presentinvention.

Broadly, the invention consists in rotatably mounting a roll of paper,or other material, so that its-periphery is always in engagement with acylindrical or measuring roll which is provided with means whereby, whenthe measuring roll is operated by pulling on the free or pendent end ofthe roll of paper, a definite length thereof may be withrawn; and meansfor reversely and simultaneously rotating the measuring roll and theroll of paper so that the free end will always depend from the roll ofpaper in order to permit the operator to detach successive sheets ofdefinite lengths.

In the drawings forming part of this application,Figure 1 is a vertical,sectional view on the line l1 of Fig. 3 showing the roll of paper andthe measuring roll in contact. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detailend view of the measuring roll showing the spiral grooves in the endthereof and the transverse bar onwhich the traveler is slidably mounted,the section being taken on line 22 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a sectional, endview looking at the end of the roll of paper and the end of themeasuring roll, the section being taken on the line 33, Fig. 1, andillustrating the manner in which the roll of paper is mounted and alsothe spiral grooves in the measuring roll and the traveler therein. Fig.4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the definite length of paperReferring to the drawings in detail, a 1 designates a suitable casing orcabinet the upper portion of which is made larger than the lowerportion. This cabinet is provided with suitable means, as perforatedears Z), for supporting it in a vertical position on a wall or othersupport. Located in the upper part of the cabinet is the roll 0 ofabsorbent paper, suitable for towel purposes, which is supported on arotatable shaft 03 the ends of which engage the grooves or guide-ways e.

Located in the lower portion of the casing 11 v is a roll 7" (which Iterm a measuring roll) supported on a stationary shaft 9 that is heldagainst rotation as will be described. Encircling the shaft 9 is acoiled spring 71. which is under initial stress, one end of which springis secured to the shaft 9 at the point 2' and the other end to the rollf at 2' so that when the roll is rotated in one direction the springwill be placed under a greater stress and cause the roll to rotate inthe opposite direction to its initial position, when the winding forceis removed.

The measuring roll 7 is encircled by a plurality of rubber bands j onwhich the roll 0 of paper, or other material, rests, as clearly shown inFig. 1, the purpose of which bands is to secure a frictional contactbetween the roll of paper and the measuring roll 7. The end of themeasuring roll, as shown in Figs. 3 and 1, is provided with a spiral rib70 forming a spiral groove m, the inner and outer ends of which areprovided with abutments 0 and 72. Located within said groove is atraveler g which is adapted to reciprocate or have opposite transversemovements on the bar r. This traveler is provided with oppositelylocated spring-arms s which engage the outer side of thebar r, as shownin Fig. 2, in order to prevent the traveler from binding on the bar whenthe measuring roll f is operated. This bar 1' is suitably and removablysupported in the lower part of the casing, as by means of the screws 7",one end of the shaft 9 being secured to this bar by means of a pin z.

The traveler g is provided on its opposite faces with rubber buffers uin order to lessen the noise or blow when the traveler comes to the endof the spiral and engages the abutments and 79.

It will be seen from the construction of the spiral m, the bar 1*, andtraveler q that the roll f may be rotated a definite distance in onedirection and a definite distance in the opposite direction, or untilthe traveler Q engages either one of the abutments 0 and 7). In order toremove the shaft 9 from the casing, its left-hand end is placed in thesocket a so that the squared portion to will prevent the shaft fromrotating. The socket o is provided with spurs o to prevent theaccidental removal of the shaft g.

By loosening the connections of the bar 1* with the casing, themeasuring roll' f and its shaft 9 may be readily removed. The socket cis secured to the casing a at the bottom portion a so that the upperportion may be sprung back to permit the removal of the bar g.

The roll 0 of paper after being placed in the cabinet, drops down theguide-ways 6, until the lower portion of its periphery engages therubber bands of the roller f, and no matter what the size of the paperroll may be it always engages the measuring roll The casing a isprovided with a cutter as against which the pendant end a of the roll 0is adapted to be cut off.

2 designates a suitable locking device for the cover a of the cabinet inorder to prevent the removal of the roll of paper by unauthorizedpersons, and the measuring roll 7 is also provided with a locking device3 in order to prevent the operation of the roll by different people.

Should it be desired to vary the length of the severed portion of thepaper, I provide means for varying the length of the spiral groove mwhich consists, as shown in Fig. 5, of a U-shaped member m which isprovided with the elastic arms m that engage the rib 72.

m designates a series of holes in the head at of the measuring roll 7,whereby pins may be inserted to vary the position of the abutments m ofthe U-shaped member m Referring now to the operation of the ap paratus,and first to Fig. 3, in which the pendant end .2 of the roll hangs ashort distance below the cutter: hen the operator pulls downward on thispendant end, in the direction of the arrow 4;, the roll 0 will berotated in the direction of the arrow 5, and by reason of its frictionalengagement with the rubber bands j, the measuring roll f will be rotatedin the direction of the arrow 6 causingt-he traveler Q to leave thetraveler has traversed the spiral groove m and brings up against theouter stop 1) which, it will be noticed, is a little more than one andone-half revolution. At this point in the operation, the operator seversthe paper by means of the cutter :0, thus releasing the tension on theroller 0 and measuring roll f, (see Fig. The coiled spring l1, which isnow under stress, unwinds and rotates the measuring roll 7 in theopposite direction, causing the roll a to also rotate reversely, andthis operation will continue until the traveler 9 brings up against theinner abutment 0 of the spiral m, with the position of the parts asshown in Fig. 3, leaving a pendant end 2 on the roll 0.

It should be particularly noticed that the apparatus comes to rest withthe parts as shown in Fig. 3, and always with a pendant end 2 below thecutter 0:. The reason for this is that when the operator pulls downwardon the pendant end, the traveler follows the path of the spiral whichhas the greatest radius and brings up against the outer abutment p, buton the reverse movement, the traveler moves in the part of the spiralwhich has the shortest radius bringing up against the inner stop 0 or inother Words, the roll 0 and measuring roll f do not, on the reversemovement, travel through as great a peripheral distance as in theunwinding operation. The traveler during this operation, it will beunderstood, reciprocates on the bar 1".

In order that the measuring roll may operate to turn the roll 0 of paperbackward, it should be stated that the coiled spring h is placed underan initial stress, as in the ordinary window shade roller.

While my above described apparatus is particularly adapted fordelivering sanitary paper towels, it, of course, is not limited to suchparticular use, nor do I so limit myself.

What I claim, is

1. In a serving apparatus, the combination with a roll of material fromwhich a definite length is to be severed, a measuring roll engaged bythe roll of material. means on the measuring roll. for permitting theroll of material to be unwound through a definite arc irrespective ofthe diameter of the roll of material, and means to permit the roll ofmaterial to rotate in a reverse direction through a less arc, whereby afree pendant end from the roll of material is provided at the end of thereverse operation.

2. A serving apparatus comprising a roll of the material to bedelivered, a measuring roll for determining a definite length to bedetached and supporting the roll of material, the measuring roll beingadapted to be rotated when the roll of material is rotated, themeasuring roll being provided with a spiral device having abutments atthe ends,

a traveler engaging the abutments, and a tension device for reverselyrotating the two rolls.

3. In a serving apparatus, the eombination with a roll of material, ameasuring roll, a severing device for detaching the material from theroll, means associated with the measuring rpll to permit the roll ofmaterial to be unwound a definite length and to rotate in a reversedirection so that a free pendant end will project from the roll ofmaterial beyond the severing device.

4. In a serving apparatus, the combination with a cabinet provided withguide- Ways for receiving the shaft of a roll of material, of ameasuring roll supported in the cabinet, the guide-ways being of suchlength to permit the roll of material to always engage the measuringroll, friction devices between the rolls, and means as sociated with themeasuring roll to permit a definite length to be withdrawn from the rollof material, and a resetting device for the rolls.

5. A serving apparatus for a roll of material, a measuring roll engagedby the roll of material and provided with a spiral groove, said groovehaving abutments therein, a traveler in the groove for engaging theabutments whereby definite lengths of material may be withdrawn from theroll of material.

6. In a serving apparatus, the combination with a roll of material, ameasuring roll for determining the length of material to be withdrawnfrom said roll, the measuring roll being provided with a groove, andadjustable abutments in the ends of the groove to vary the length ofmaterial to be withdrawn from the rolls of material.

JOHN HALL, JR.

Witnesses:

K. I. OLEMoNs, HARRY W. BOWEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

